Spray devices are generally well known in the art, some examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,396,152 and 5,082,652. Aerosol spray devices that dispense an antiperspirant composition are also known in the art. Various examples are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,152,415; 4,806,338; 4,840,786; 4,904,463; 4,935,224; 5,298,236; 5,605,682; 5,814,309; 7,815,899; EP 674,899; and WO 96/04884; WO/2004/014330; WO 2007/00184, commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 61/701,201 filed Sep. 14, 2012 and U.S. Ser. No. 61/789,480 filed Mar. 15, 2013, the substances of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Many aerosol antiperspirant users desire a product that provides one or more of the following benefits: minimizes the appearance of residue on the skin, has a dry rather than wet feel, has rapid perceived drying, is not sticky, provides a cool/fresh feeling at time of application, provides long lasting wetness and/or odor protection, is provided in a form that is easily portable in purses or small bags (as some users may apply the antiperspirant composition more than once a day) and minimizes the gassy cloud that forms during dispensing. While the relative importance/desirability of these characteristics may vary by geographical region and gender and not all users desire all or the same set of characteristics, there appears to be a generally universal desire among aerosol antiperspirant users for a dry rather than wet feel, minimizing the appearance of residue, and providing long lasting wetness/odor protection or efficacy.
While some currently marketed aerosol spray devices may provide at least some of these benefits to varying degrees, there are often a series of tradeoffs involved depending on the combination of ingredients used.
Significant settling and/or agglomeration of particulates in an antiperspirant composition may complicate delivery of a uniform dose of the antiperspirant active from an aerosol spray device.
It may thus be desirable, in some instances, for these antiperspirant compositions to contain a clay material as a bulking or suspending agent in order to reduce settling/caking of particulates, particularly the antiperspirant active, and to aid redispersion of the particulates by shaking of the package prior to use.
The use of bulking and suspending agents, such as smectite clays and silicas, in antiperspirant compositions is well known (see, e.g., A Comparison of Smectite Clays in Underarm Products, Elementis Specialites Brochure© 2008 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,298,236; 4,935,224; 4,904,463; 4,806,338; 4,152,416; and WO 96/04884). Smectite clays are typically layered minerals that comprise closely agglomerated individual platelets (see, e.g., Additives Reference Guide, Claytone® and Tixogel® Organoclays, Southern Clay Products brochure). In some instances, the smectite clays used in antiperspirant compositions are organoclays, which are clays that have been modified by the addition of organic moieties (e.g., alkyl quaterniary materials such as dimethyl distearyl ammonium chloride) to a portion of the platelet faces. The platelets are typically separated in a shearing operation and then chemically activated (e.g., by the addition of triethyl citrate, propylene carbonate, etc.). The chemical activator facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonds between the edges of adjacent platelets (see, e.g., Rheological Additives in Cosmetics, Elementis Specialties brochure), thereby creating a network with a much larger volume than the original raw material. This network may act as a bulking or suspending matrix that may reduce the settling and/or caking of particulates in the composition and aid redispersion of the particulates upon shaking of the spray device. This may be particularly useful in an antiperspirant composition, as the aluminum salts are dense and tend to settle quickly and/or may be prone to caking in the presence of moisture. Significant settling and/or agglomeration of particulates in an antiperspirant composition may complicate delivery of a uniform dose of the antiperspirant active from an aerosol spray device. This may in turn negatively impact skin feel or contribute to the appearance of a white residue. Further, poor activation of the clay material may reduce flow of the antiperspirant composition into a dip tube and/or agglomerates may enter the dip tube and clog small orifices within the valve.
The use of liquid fragrance is also desirable in antiperspirant compositions. While there are benefits to including a liquid fragrance material in an antiperspirant composition, it is believed that at least some liquid fragrance materials may negatively affect activation of a clay material. This may become more apparent as the liquid fragrance material concentration increases.
Many currently available aerosol antiperspirant compositions also incorporate a volatile liquid (e.g., cyclopentasiloxane) as a carrier for the antiperspirant active. The volatile liquid evaporates following application to the skin, resulting in a dry skin feel, but sometimes leaves behind a visible residue (the antiperspirant active) that is subject to flaking and/or transfer to clothing. Flaking (or transfer) of the antiperspirant active may also reduce antiperspirant efficacy. It may be possible to overcome this visible residue problem with the use of non-volatile silicones which may increase the substantivity of the antiperspirant composition and actives on the skin as well as decrease the propensity for forming visible residue on skin. However, avoiding a perception of wetness post application, which is sometimes associated with the inclusion of non-volative silicones, must also be minimized.
Also in some instances it may be desirable to use different ranges of propellant concentrations. One the one hand some consumers like current antiperspirant aerosol spray devices that are typically large (greater than 150 ml). These devices accommodate high propellant concentrations and may contain a larger amount of antiperspirant composition. On the other hand some consumers like to use smaller spray devices that may be carried in small purses and the like. Like antiperspirant composition components, there are additional product tradeoffs involved with the selection of different propellant levels. For example, high propellant concentrations (e.g., greater than 75% and often greater than 80%), may dilute the antiperspirant composition, which in turn may help reduce the risk of clogging by particulates in the antiperspirant composition (e.g., the antiperspirant active, silica, clays etc.). Higher propellant concentration enhances the cool/fresh feeling at time of application due to more liquid propellant depositing on the skin and subsequently vaporizing there from. However, a high propellant concentration also produces a large volume of gas upon exiting the spray device resulting in a gassy cloud and/or a turbulent spray. Deposition efficiency (e.g., the amount of antiperspirant active and/or fragrance deposited on skin compared to the amount dispensed) may in turn be reduced due to the large amount of antiperspirant active and/or fragrance lost to the environment via the gassy cloud rather than deposited on the skin. A high propellant concentration may also result in solubilization of liquid fragrance materials into the propellant during storage, resulting in more of the liquid fragrance material being lost to the environment with the propellant rather than deposited on the skin. These disadvantages may be minimized depending on the selected propellant levels.
It is believed that antiperspirant compositions comprising a non-volatile silicone fluid, a clay material, a liquid activation enhancer and optionally a clay activator and/or a liquid fragrance material, in combination with a range of propellant concentrations for use in a spray device, may be useful for addressing one or more of the above-described tradeoffs. These compositions may provide enhanced dispersion and uniform dosing of actives, minimize interactions between the liquid fragrance and the clay, and decrease visible residue problems via use of non volatile silicones, etc.
Therefore, there is a continuing desire to provide an antiperspirant composition comprising a non-volatile silicone fluid, a clay material, a liquid activation enhancer, and optionally a liquid fragrance material and/or a clay activator, for use in a spray device having a propellant concentration. Still further, there is a continuing desire to provide an antiperspirant composition comprising a non-volatile silicone fluid, a clay material, a liquid activation enhancer, and optionally a liquid fragrance material and/or clay activator, for use in a spray device having a propellant concentration less than about 70%. Still further yet, there is a continuing desire to provide improved making and filling methods for an antiperspirant composition comprising a non-volatile silicone fluid, a clay material, and optionally a liquid activation enhancer, a liquid fragrance material, and/or a clay activator. Various non-limiting antiperspirant compositions and spray devices and methods are described hereafter which may be suitable for addressing one or more of these desires.